Refrigerating apparatus



J. T. RAUEN Oct. 6, 1931.

REFR IGERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28, 1927 Jj uu yd 50 appearance of the flist of the cabinet.

Patented Oct. 6, 1931 lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN T. BAUEN, OF DAYTON, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRIGID- AIRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Applt'cation filed September 28, 1927. Serial No. 222,663.

The present invention relates to improvements in refrigerators and has for its general object the provision of a cover plate within one of the compartments of the refrigerator for covering the mechanism therein.

It is a specific object of the invention to provide a cover plate which is readily removable so that access may be had to the interior of the compartment without the necessity of w removing bolts and the like;

Further objects as well as advantages of the present invention willle apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a conventional form of mechanical household reao frigerator.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a detail of the cover plate.

Fig. 4 is a detail View of a portion of the cover plate retaining means viewed from the remote inside of the cabinet.

In refrigerators of the mechanically operated household type the cooling unit is so generally located in a compartment of the refrigerator cabinet within easy access of the user. Such a cooling unit may comprise a chamber composed of pipes depending from a header or connected toan expansion valve, or the chamber may be formed by the walls of a brine tank supplied with cooling medium from a distant point in the refrigerator. In any event the usual practice is to dispose the trays of material to be frozen in good thermal contact with the walls of the cooling unit and to cool the rest of the refrigerator cabinet by circulation of air cooled by the unit. The component elements of the cooling unit such as the header, or expansion valve and the de- 4.5 pendent loops or analogous walls together with the tray supporting brackets are the means used to support the unit within the cabinet constitute an ensemble of apparatus which isordinarily out of harmony with the In accordance with the present invention an improved cover plate is provided which hides the mechanism from view without preventing access to the trays and which is readily removable when repairs are necessary. An improved appearance of the refrigerator is thereby secured as Well as decreased tendency for tampering with the adjustments and fastenings. In addition the cover plate more or less shields the cooling unit from the surrounding temperature when the cabinet door is opened since the only portions of the unit exposed to view are the front plates of the ice trays.

Referring in detail to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views, 10 is a refrigerator having a food-storage compartment 11, closed by door 12 and having other similar compartments not shown but represented by doors 13 and 14 in Fig. 1. The interior of the compartments may be provided with a lining 15, preferably with porcelain or enameled finish while the walls may be suitabl insulated as indicated by'16. 75,

gold air from the cooling compartment 17 passes thru a fine 18 into the food compart ment 11.

A cooling unit 19 comprising either an evaporator 20 or its equivalent (e. g. an expansion valve, not shown) and pipes 21 are carried within the cooling compartment 17. A suitable supporting system is used for carrying the cooling unit and may comprise straps 22 attached to the header and to the top of the compartment. Anice tray sleeve structure may comprise ice tray sleeves 23 forming freezing chambers carried by the pipes 21. Trays are provided for containing water or material to be frozen and are shown by their finished fronts 25 while handles 26 are provided for manipulating the trays themselves.

The cover plate of the invention comprises a sheet metal dished structure 27 which is interposed between the door opening and the cooling unit 20. The dished or bent-in'portion 28 is provided with an opening so shaped that the traysmay be withdrawn but which efi'ectively hides the header 19 or other we till) ice mechanism from view. The edge of this opening provides manual access to the cover plate so that it may be readily grasped and removed from the refri erator. The slanting portions 29 also ai in closing ofl viewmember 30 resting against the inside wall of the portions 28 when the member 27 is in position.

The bevel portion 29 of cover plate 27 carries a bent-over flange 32 at the top which is adapted to coact with a humped leaf spring 33 suitably carried for example by a wooden ledge 34 extending downwardly from the inside top of the cooling chamber.

The lower end of the cover plate 27 is provided with a bent-over flange 35 similar to the top flange 32 and which carries, as by bolts 36, two hanger members comprising a portion 37 attached by the bolt 36 to the cover 27 anda portion 38 bent at right angles to the portion 37 and provided with a vertical slot39. Thehangermember37-38isadapted to swing on a bolt 40 attachedto the inside wall of the cooling compartment. A hole 41 considerably larger in diameter than the width of slot 39 is located midway between the portions 37 and 38 of the hanger member. It is apparent that by moving the hanger member 37-38 upwardly the slot 39 in portion 38 will serve as a vertical movement guide until the hole 41 comes adjacent the bolt 40 whereupon the hanger may be completely unhooked and removed from its pivotal fastening. Since the hanger members are disposed at each side of the bottom of the cover plate 27 it is obvious that the positioning and removal of the cover plate may be effected in a similar manner, i. e. by unlatching the bent-over top flange 32 from the humped spring 33 and then pulling the cover plate outwardly and upwardly.

It is apparent from the foregoing that an improved refrigerator construction has been provided having a cooling compartment provided with a cover plate which not only enhances the appearance of the cabinet but increases its operating efiiciency as well and which is readily removed when repairs or cleaning are necessary.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a refrigerator, a compartment having an opening and a door therefor, a cooling unit within said compartment, a cover plate for said compartment, means for secur ing said plate in position in said compartment, said means comprising hanger members attached'to said plate, said hanger members each comprising a solid portion rigidly mounted on said plate, a por at right angles to the first portion and provided with a slot, an opening communicating with said slot intermediate said portions larger than said slot, pivots on the compartment walls for supporting said plate in the slots thereof, said plate being normally piv oted in said slot but removable from said compartment by removal of said hanger members from said pivots thru said openings and a latch for holding said plate in position.

2. In combination, a refrigerator having a cooling compartment, a cooling unit in said compartment, an ice cube tray sleeve structure in said cooling unit, a flange secured to said sleeve structure, a cover plate adjacent said cooling unit provided with an ice tray opening overlapping said flange, and a spring catch and a slotted pivot member for removably securing said cover plate to said rc-.

frigerator.

In testimony whereof I hereto ailix my signature.

JOHN T. RAUEN.

ion integrally 

